Title: Bias enhanced growth of diamond on coarse and micrograin cemented carbide

Authors: Gil Cabral, Elby Titus, J. Gracio

Addresses: Department of Mechanical Engineering, Centre for Mechanical Technology and Automation, University of Aveiro, Aveiro 3810-193, Portugal. ' Department of Mechanical Engineering, Centre for Mechanical Technology and Automation, University of Aveiro, Aveiro 3810-193, Portugal. ' Department of Mechanical Engineering, Centre for Mechanical Technology and Automation, University of Aveiro, Aveiro 3810-193, Portugal

Abstract: Ultra-fine diamond grains were deposited directly onto Co-cemented tungsten carbide (WC-Co) substrates via plasma-enhanced hot-filament Chemical Vapour Deposition (CVD), using a parallel molybdenum plate. It was employed a Bias-Enhanced Growth (BEG) process at different times, 15, 20, 25 and 30 min, for the self nucleation of diamond grains. The ultra-fine crystallinity, smoothness and purity of diamond grains were characterised using, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) and Raman spectroscopy. The diamond nucleation on micro and coarse grain WC-Co substrates was compared using SEM analysis.

Keywords: chemical vapour deposition; CVD; diamond nucleation; cemented carbides; microstructure; secondary nucleation; tungsten carbide substrates; bias-enhanced growth; diamond grains; cobalt-cemented tungsten carbide; polycrystalline diamond thin films; nanomanufacturing.

DOI: 10.1504/IJNM.2006.012197

International Journal of Nanomanufacturing, 2006 Vol.1 No.2, pp.259 - 271

Published online: 28 Jan 2007 *

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